Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
Sport

Emma McKeon's record-breaking swim highlights more Aussie dominance at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Emma McKeon has ten career Commonwealth Games gold medals — for now. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)

Emma McKeon has joined Australian swimming royalty by winning her 10th career Commonwealth Games gold on day two in Birmingham. 

McKeon, alongside Madi Wilson, Shayna Jack and Mollie O'Callaghan, obliterated the field to win the 4x100m freestyle relay title by almost six seconds.

The 28-year-old joins swimming legends Suzie O'Neill, Ian Thorpe and Liesel Jones in winning 10 gold medals at the Games.

Earlier, McKeon earned her first Commonwealth Games silver in the 100m butterfly, just running out of time to close down a tiring Maggie Mac Neil, who claimed gold for Canada.

It means McKeon has a total of 15 Commonwealth Games medals, level with luminaries O'Neil and Emily Seebohm as the most of any Australian swimmer.

The women's relay achievements were matched by the men's team of Flynn Southam, Zac Incerti, William Xu Yang and Kyle Chalmers, who also claimed gold in a Games record time.

Gold medalist Katja Dedekind didn't know she'd broken a world record until well after her race. (AP: Aijaz Rahi)

Chelsea Hodges (50m breaststroke), Elijah Winnington (200m freestyle) and Jacob Templeton (S13 50m freestyle) all claimed bronze in their respective races at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre before normal service resumed when Katja Dedekind won the S13 50m freestyle.

Dedekind, who is visually impaired, only found out she broke a world record on live television during a post-race interview, as did Kirralee Hayes who won bronze in the same race.

Brendon Smith picked up a silver medal in the 400m individual medley behind New Zealand's Lewis Clareburt, before Bradley Woodward added to the bronze tally in a fiercely competitive 100m backstroke.

Rugby sevens teams in medal hunt

Australia beat New Zealand and will face Fiji in the final. (Getty Images: Richard Heathcote)

Australia's rugby sevens team has advanced to the women's gold medal match after a narrow win over New Zealand in Coventry.

The Aussies collapsed to the ground in delight after a Maddison Levi hat-trick saw Australia run out 17-12 winners to compound a miserable month for New Zealand rugby.

In the men's draw, Australia edged Samoa 7-0 in the quarter-final to progress to a semi-final against South Africa.

New Zealand will face Fiji in a heavyweight battle for the ages in the other semi.

Gymnasts nab silver in team event

The women's gymnastics team has added another silver to Australia's medal tally. (AP: Manish Swarup)

Georgia Godwin, Emily Whitehead, Romi Brown, Breanna Scott and Kate McDonald have secured a podium finish in the women's team final in artistic gymnastics.

England claimed the gold with a total of 161.100 to Australia's 158.000. Canada won bronze with 152.700.

Godwin, the team's captain, and Whitehead also qualified for the all-around finals, as did Jesse Moore and Clay Mason Stephens in the men's individual qualification earlier in the competition.

Individual apparatus finals are also still to come, with Australia represented in all disciplines for both the women's and men's apparatus.

Georgia Godwin was the highest-placed Australian qualifier for the all-around finals, ranking third overall. (Getty: Shaun Botterill)

Look back at how the action unfolded in our live blog.

Key events

Live updates

By Kelsie Iorio

What to watch on day three

Once again, it's bedtime in Birmingham.

Day two has been epic and we're looking at another big one on day three, which starts this evening for Australian viewers.

Here's what you can catch the Aussies in (any times listed below are in AEST):

  • Swimming (heats this evening and finals early Monday)
  • Gymnastics
  • Beach volleyball (the women's team kicks off their campaign from 11:30pm tonight)
  • Track cycling
  • Rugby sevens (with medals on the line)
  • PTVI and mixed relay triathlons
  • Hockey (the Kookaburras are playing Scotland from 6pm)
  • Boxing
  • Cricket (Australia plays Barbados from 3am Monday morning) 
  • 3x3 basketball
  • Lawn bowls

This is where we leave our live blog coverage for now, but we'll be back in the very early hours of tomorrow morning. See you then!

By Kelsie Iorio

Medal tally check

By Kelsie Iorio

Netball: Australia's win over Scotland 'clinical'

If you're just joining us, the Diamonds also had another win overnight.

Australia beat Scotland 83-30, another strong victory after winning 95-18 over Barbados in their first match of the tournament.

Scottish assistant coach Sara Francis-Bayman described Australia's performance as "clinical" and "ruthless".

"They’ve looked great in the first two games and we understood if we gave them too much space, too much time on the ball, they’d start to punish us," she said.

By Kelsie Iorio

Squash: Award for coolest hair of the Comm Games goes to Jess Turnbull

It's green on one side and gold on the other. I am obsessed.

Speaking of Jess Turnbull, she's had a win in her first singles match in Birmingham over Malta's Colette Sultana.

The funny part about that is, Sultana is based in Brisbane and these two actually play each other all the time.

By Kelsie Iorio

Table tennis: Aussie women's team semi-finals bound

Jian Fang Lay and Minhyung Lee have stunned with a come-from-behind win over Canada in the table tennis team event, with Lay and Yangzi Liu also winning their singles to lock in the ticket to the next round.

Coach John Murphy told AAP he was impressed with how the doubles duo performed under pressure.

"It was a tough doubles match," he said.

“That’s one they go (back) to further in the tournament, the fact they got through that tough match.”

By Kelsie Iorio

Swimming: A pretty impressive record in the women's 4x100m

By Kelsie Iorio

What's been your favourite event or moment of the games so far?

Swing us a comment and let us know.

By Kelsie Iorio

Rugby sevens: Fiji has a point to prove

Pacific Islands sports reporter Ali Almond has taken a closer look at the plight of the Flying Fijians for Commonwealth Games gold medal glory.

They've earned the top honour at the Olympics — but not yet at the Comm Games.

Have a read of Ali's deep-dive here:

By Kelsie Iorio

Gymnastics: More medals still on offer for Australians

The Aussie women's team has been awarded their silver medals — we love to see it.

But the artistic section of the competition isn't over, with multiple Australians now looking to individual all-around and apparatus finals.

We've got:

  • Georgia Godwin and Emily Whitehead in the all-around final (Georgia qualified third-highest of the whole comp)
  • Georgia Godwin and Emily Whitehead in the vault final
  • Georgia Godwin and Kate McDonald in the uneven bars final
  • Georgia Godwin and Kate McDonald in the beam final
  • Emily Whitehead and Romi Brown in the floor final

The Aussie men's team just missed out on a medal — literally, by less than 0.7 — but we'll still see some of our gymnasts in the men's individual finals as well: 

  • Jesse Moore and Clay Mason Stephens in the all-around final
  • Clay Mason Stephens in the floor final
  • Jesse Moore in the pommel horse and rings finals
  • James Bacueti in the vault final
  • Mitchell Morgans and Tyson Bull in the parallel bars final
  • Jesse Moore and Mitchell Morgans in the horizontal bar final

The men's all-around finals start this evening from around 6pm AEST with the women's later on, then apparatus finals are on Monday and Tuesday.

By Simon Smale

Key Event

🥇 Swimming: Australia wins 4x100m free relay gold

It's a new Games record for the Australians, who were tested by England and Canada early on.

Flynn Southam, Zac Incerti, William Xu Yang and Kyle Chalmers did the business for the Aussies, who retain their title from four years ago.

Australia hit the lead at the 250 mark through Yang and the Aussies never looked back.

Southam set a PB in the first leg too.

England second, Canada third.

By Kelsie Iorio

Beach volleyball: Aussies get the win

Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett have knocked over their opponents from the Maldives in two sets, getting their Birmingham 2022 campaign off to a strong start.

The Aussies won 21 - 13 in the first and 21 - 17 in the second.

We'll see them again overnight Monday.

By Simon Smale

Key Event

Rugby 7s: Australia beat Samoa to reach the semi final!

Jubilation for Australia!

That was a hard-fought match - they survived a sin binning late on - but they've prevailed in Coventry to reach tomorrow's semi final!

They'll play South Africa tomorrow.

New Zealand will face Fiji in the other semi.

By Simon Smale

Rugby 7s: Yellow card for skipper Nick Malouf

That's bad news for the Aussies, they'll be down to six for two minutes with three minutes remaining as the skipper is shown a yellow card.

Samoa on the attack.

By Simon Smale

Rugby 7s: Australia break the deadlock!

Matthew Gonzalez has crashed over to open the scoring under the posts and Australia have made a big stride towards the semi final!

The conversion was successful so Australia leads 7-0 with four minutes remaining.

By Simon Smale

Rugby 7s: Australia 0-0 Samoa

A tough and tight quarter final in Coventry, as Australia and Samoa keep each other scoreless in the opening seven minutes of action.

Australia almost scored mid-way through the half, but a brilliant tackle on the line knocked the ball loose.

By Kelsie Iorio

Key Event

🥈 Gymnastics: Silver for Australia in women's team final

A great result for team Australia!

Georgia Godwin and Emily Whitehead have also qualified for the all-around finals, so we'll see them again with more medal chances in the coming days.

Team England has taken out gold in the team event and Canada finished third for the bronze.

We will definitely see Aussies competing in the individual apparatus finals as well — standby for the wrap on that.

By Simon Smale

Key Event

Swimming: Emma McKeon wins record-equaling 10th Commonwealth Games gold

Incredible.

Suzie O'Neil.

Ian Thorpe.

Leisel Jones.

Now, Emma McKeon.

She also has a 15th medal overall, a record she shares with O'Neil and Emily Seebohm as the swimmer with the most medals of any colour at a Commonwealth Games for Australia.

Shooter Phillip Adams has won 18 medals, by the way.

"Oh wow, I didn't know," she tells Cate Campbell on Channel 7 afterwards.

By Simon Smale

Key Event

🥇 Swimming: Australia's women win 4x100m free gold!

It was never in doubt, was it?

Australia's all-star team have powered to gold, handing Emma McKeon her record-equalling 10th Commonwealth Games gold medal!

Maddie Wilson, Shayna Jack, Mollie O'Callaghan and Emma McKeon claim gold.

Australia won that by 5.98 seconds - a demolition job if ever I saw one.

England took silver, Canada bronze.

By Simon Smale

Swimming: Lonely Brianna Thorssell

The 100m fly medal ceremony was a bit of a lonely affair for Brianna Throssell.

Maggie MacNeil and Emma McKeon are getting ready for the 4x100m free relay that's up next, so she got to walk around the arena after the podium presentation all on her lonesome.

Lap it up, Bri!

By Kelsie Iorio

Beach volleyball: Australia takes first set

Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett have won the first set 21 - 13 over Sajid Ismail and Adam Naseem of the Maldives.

The Aussies are leading in the second set so far.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.